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That looks amazing. But how much was it? I'm not looking to spend more money on the same knife if I don't have to.

taz575

Post subject: Re: Help me pick out my new Petty knife

Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 12:27 am

Forum Moderator

Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:13 pmPosts: 3031Location: CT

The acid etching is easy. Remember to clean the blade fully before dipping; soap and hot water and do not touch the blade with your fingers since your prints will put oil on the blade and not etch well. You can use Scotchbrite pads to clean any patina off of the blade to get it looking new before the washing/etching/washing cycle. I got a big bottle of Ferric Chloride from Radio Shack (It's used to etch circuit boards) over 10 years ago and still have a lot left. You fill up a plastic container deep enough to dip the blade fully in to around 9/10 of water, and then add approx 1/10 of acid (10:1 ratio water to acid, remember to ALWAYS ADD ACID). You want the acid diluted so it will etch the metal differently; if it's too strong, it will look the same. It takes a minute or two, and then remove from the acid and fully wash off and dry. You can repeat to darken it up if you would like. You can reuse the mixture, so you may want to get a taller container that can be sealed and stored away in case you want to re etch the blade or other blades in the future. I used a tall plastic Carafe with a tight lid and I can do blades up to 240mm, maybe even 270mm.

Kkent2013

Post subject: Re: Help me pick out my new Petty knife

Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 4:28 am

Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2013 8:08 pmPosts: 17

Do I have to specifically use the Ferric Chloride? Or is there a possible substitute? Only reason for asking is because I'm in a small town in Alaska and won't be back home for another few weeks. Thanks for the advice btw!

taz575

Post subject: Re: Help me pick out my new Petty knife

Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 4:30 am

Forum Moderator

Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:13 pmPosts: 3031Location: CT

Hot vinegar etch should work as well, may not be as dark as the acid.

toddnmd

Post subject: Re: Help me pick out my new Petty knife

Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 4:55 pm

Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2012 7:18 pmPosts: 398

There are various ways to force a patina--all involve some kind of controlled exposure of an acidic substance to the blade. A lot of people use mustard, vinegar, or you can even use mashed banana or rare roast beef. You can always add more if you want it darker, or you can use Flitz or another similar product to clean it off if you don't like it.

A patina won't "ruin" the Damascus, but it will probably tone it down quite a bit. What you do depends on practicality vs. aesthetics vs. how much trouble any method seems to be.

I think the acid etching looks cool, but I'm not sure if I'd buy a product just to do that.

Kkent2013 wrote:Would you guys suggest to forcing a patina on this knife? Or would that ruin the natural damascus significantly?

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